EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect the correct title of Matt Stolz at Zeeland Public Schools; the district also had five snow days as of this writing, not four.

OTTAWA COUNTY — A young student, no matter the age, will sit with excitement and anticipation all day and night for the possibility of a snow day. Finally, the alert arrives that they were hoping for — a day off of school. 

For Ottawa County students in late January, it was a dream come true after a major weather system dumped nearly 20 inches of snow; coupled with icy conditions and subzero temperatures, weather conditions forced most local districts to cancel several consecutive school days.

It may be a thrill for students to have the days off, but it can pose a headache for parents and district officials.

Although there is no specific limit to how many snow days schools can have, the state of Michigan requires districts to begin making up days after the sixth canceled day in a given academic year — that's in order to meet the 180 days of instructional time state law requires.

Districts can cancel for a variety of reasons, including intense weather conditions, fires, epidemics, utility power unavailability, water or sewer failure, or health conditions as defined by local elected and state health authorities.

Even if they reach the limit, school officials have a duty to protect students and provide a safe environment to learn, said Allendale Public Schools' Superintendent Garth Cooper.

“There is always a chance to go beyond days and we have to decide as a district how best to handle likely add on days,” Cooper said. “We’ve had six [snow days], hit our limit, but that doesn’t impact our decision-making. If there are dangerous conditions, we will have more snow days.”

If districts go beyond the allotted six days, they can apply to the state Board of Education for an additional three-day waiver. Many districts in Michigan found themselves beyond the six-day allowance and the additional three-day waiver during the 2018-19 school year, when a polar vortex — artic air pushed south by the jet stream — brought unprecedented cold temperatures that hovered between -30 to -50 degrees that prompted a state of emergency.

The Legislature sorted out that academic year, but with many Ottawa County districts nearing or at their allotted days — and more snow on the way in February — districts could be adding dates to the end of the year or canceling miscellaneous days off to make up the difference.

Matt Stolz, interim superintendent at Zeeland Public Schools, said it is likely that the request for more days will be granted as it has in the past for the district, which currently has five snow days. 

Read More: Which West Michigan schools have the most snow days?

With another round of snow set to roll through West Michigan, some school officials are concerned about going over the limit and extending the school year.

“We may add on additional days to the end of our school year. We had to add one last year as we went over our limit. That can interfere with family summer plans as well as our eighth-graders' class trip if it ends up being a lot of days we need to make up,” said Christina Watkoski, a member of the Divine Providence Academy school board.

Her district currently has had five snow days.

“When the students miss days of school, we lose time to get in all of their instruction. It can be hard to stay on track to finish everything by the end of the school year," she said.

The snow is not done yet, as a new system moves through the Midwest this week. Ottawa County will be under a winter storm watch starting at 1 p.m. Wednesday through 7 a.m. Thursday.

The system could bring 5-8 inches of additional snowfall with temperatures in the teens.

Support Our Work

Ottawa News Network is a nonprofit news service dedicated to providing the residents of Ottawa County with trustworthy, community-driven news. ONN treats journalism as a public good — something that enriches lives and empowers Ottawa County’s 300,000-plus residents to stay engaged, make informed decisions, and strengthen local democracy. Please consider giving today.

Brandon Hoving, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service's Grand Rapids office, said the first half of the month will be slightly colder than normal.

"Typically, high temperatures are in the low 30s during early February," he said.

The forecast through Feb. 20 will see temperatures in the low teens and 20s before bouncing between the 20s and 30s which is more typical for the season, Hoving said.

Even if Ottawa County dodges another major snow system, don't count out lake-effect snowfall, Hoving said, which is expected to continue through the month.

— Lilian Burton covers education for Ottawa News Network. Contact her at lburton@ottawanewsnetwork.org.